A solo mother whose false rape complaint caused part of central Christchurch to be cordoned off has been granted interim name suppression while she awaits sentencing.

The 21-year-old said an unknown man had dragged her through Strand Lane into Cathedral Square and raped her early on November 6.

But when she was confronted with video surveillance footage showing no such incident, and the statement from the friend she was with, she accepted it could not have happened, the Christchurch District Court was told today.

The woman pleaded guilty to a charge of making a false complaint to a woman police detective that an offence of rape had been committed.

Judge Brian Callaghan put sentencing off till tomorrow afternoon so that probation could prepare a report.

“I want to know a bit more about this,” he said. “I am troubled by the number of false complaints seen to be made. The repercussions are serious for the people involved, including the police resources.”

Police prosecutor Al Manco said she had been drinking with friends around the city the previous evening.

At 3.50am she was spoken to by police on the corner of Colombo and Hereford Streets and said she had been raped. She was spoken to by a woman detective and continued to say that she had been forced down Strand Lane and into Cathedral Square and raped.

The area was cordoned off, causing disruption for nearby businesses and pedestrian traffic while an inquiry involving 10 police staff went ahead.

“As the investigation progressed it became apparent that the defendant was not attacked at all,” said Mr Manco. “Video surveillance showed that the defendant was in the company of an associate when she left the Rockpool Bar until she arrived at McDonalds on Colombo Street. This was confirmed by her friend she was with at the time.”

When confronted with this evidence by the police, she said: “I don’t know. I’m sure it happened. I can’t have been that drunk.”

Duty solicitor Carole Morgan said the woman was a solo mother, on the domestic purposes benefit, with children aged four and two years. She was already paying off substantial fines at $30 a week and would be able to do community work.

She applied for interim name suppression until tomorrow because there were “medical and mental health issues that need to be explored”.

“Publication has the potential to have quite an impact on her,” she said.

The order was granted by Judge Callaghan when he remanded her on bail to tomorrow.